1. Technical Field
This invention relates to tools and a kit for aiding in cutting hair lines when trimming hair, beards, mustaches and the like.
2. Background Art
One of the main challenges when cutting hair, particularly when cutting men's hair, is to cut an appropriately shaped, smooth hair line in the front, back and sides or even on a beard or mustache.
Over the years many inventors have attempted to solve this problem. U.S. Pat. No. 1,385,722 issued to W. T. Sessoms in 1921 illustrates a neck shaving pattern or guide which is a band or strip that hooks on the ears of the person getting their hair cut and provides a line below which the neck is shaved. This invention does not, however, allow for different shapes of necklines and does not aid the barber in cutting the front of the person's hair or their sideburns. This invention also does not guarantee a level hair line as people's ears are often lopsided.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,870 issued to Wall illustrates a guide means for cutting long hair. This patent illustrates a template device that fits over the shoulders of the person having their hair cut. Guides are formed on the template device showing the barber where to cut the hair. This invention, however, is not applicable to short hair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,672 issued to Hamilton illustrates a hair-sculpturing structure and method. This invention is a template or stencil with a shape such as a heart opening in the center. The barber trims the hair within the opening in the template. This invention does not aid in trimming the neckline, however and is in fact primarily for novelty cuts that contain shapes.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0074511 illustrates a guide for trimming facial hair. The guide is held in place by a chin plate and a neck strap. The guide allows users to trim hair along certain predetermine angles in order to get a straight and symmetrical facial hair cut. The invention cannot be used in trimming anything but facial hair.
Accordingly, what is needed is a liner tool and tool kit for aiding in cutting hair including short hair, which allows the barber to cut a smooth, level line in the desired shape on a neckline, sideburns, facial hair and the like.